Before you dive into the much-anticipated Night World 3, it's time for a little recap of the Night World series.
Which Night World story is your favourite?
Monday, March 30, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Cassandra and Holly are coming to town!
Meet Holly Black and Cassandra Clare, two of the most dynamic YA writers of contemporary fantasy. They will be discussing their books and the art of writing for teens. Two great authors: Holly Black & Cassandra Clare-- with two great series: & A Modern Faery Tale (Tithe, Valiant and Ironside), and The Mortal Instruments (City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass) -- don’t miss out!
Vancouver
Friday April 24, 7 pm
West Point Grey United Church
4595 West 8th Ave.
Tickets $5.00. For more information, call 604-738-5335, email events@kidsbooks.ca or check out www.kidsbooks.ca
Toronto
Sunday April 26, 2 pm
Indigo
Yorkdale Mall
3401 Dufferin Street
Vancouver
Friday April 24, 7 pm
West Point Grey United Church
4595 West 8th Ave.
Tickets $5.00. For more information, call 604-738-5335, email events@kidsbooks.ca or check out www.kidsbooks.ca
Toronto
Sunday April 26, 2 pm
Indigo
Yorkdale Mall
3401 Dufferin Street
Night World 3 is here!
If you're a fan of L.J. Smith's Night World series, you'll be happy to know that Night World 3 is out.
What is Night World? L.J. Smith answers all your questions here:
City of Glass Book Trailer
Have you picked up your copy of City of Glass?
Check out the brand new book trailer:
Check out the brand new book trailer:
Friday, March 20, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Not all dreams are sweet...
For seventeen-year-old Janie, getting sucked into other people's dreams is getting old.She can't tell anybody about what she does -- they'd never believe her, or worse, they'd think she's a freak. So Janie lives on the fringe, cursed with an ability she doesn't want and can't control.
Then she falls into a gruesome nightmare, one that chills her to the bone. For the first time, Janie is more than a witness to someone else's twisted psyche. She is a participant...
Monday, March 16, 2009
City of Glass: The countdown begins
In just 10 days, fans of The Mortal Instruments trilogy will be able to get their hands on the third and final book of the series, City of Glass.
Check out this audio clip of author Cassandra Clare talking about the writing of the series.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Impossible Love
If you liked Twilight, you'll love Raven.
Zin dances with fire in every step, speaks in a honey-sweet voice, and sees with eyes that can peer into your soul. Nicole's friendship with him is the only thing that saves her from the boredom of school and the turmoil of her family life. It's no wonder she is madly in love with him. But she can't understand why he keeps her at a distance, even though she can feel his soul reaching out for hers.
Zin is like no man Nicole has ever met, and he carries with him a very old secret. When Nicole uncovers the truth, her love may be the only thing that can save him from it.
Here's a Q&A with author Allison Van Diepen:
Q: Raven is a very different book from your first two, Street Pharm and Snitch, which were edgy urban dramas. Why did you want to write urban fantasy this time around?
AVD: It was a very natural progression for me, since I’ve been interested in all things supernatural from the time I was little. When I started writing Raven, though, I hadn’t planned on it being an urban fantasy. After writing the first few chapters, I strongly felt that something was missing, and once I thought up the paranormal twist, it all clicked. I love mixing gritty realism and fantasy, and I hope my readers will like it, too.
Q: Urban fantasy is very popular right now, why do you think that is?
AVD: Urban fantasy gives the world we know a magical side. It’s escapism without having to wrap your mind around a whole new universe. It brings the supernatural closer to us and tempts us with the idea that anything is possible within our world.
Q: All of your books are aimed at young adult readers, why do you like writing for this particular audience?
AVD: I don’t know – I just do! I’m still a fairly young adult, so making my inner voice somewhat younger is easy for me. It would be far more difficult for me to write about someone older than I am, because I haven’t experienced that stage of life. My teenage years were a very compelling time in my life, and they’ve left an imprint on my psyche that’s easy to access.
Q: Are your main characters, Zin and Nicole, based on real people you know?
AVD: No, they’re not based on anyone in particular. But after having spent so much time with them, Zin and Nicole do feel like people I know, and they continue to live on in my head.... I hope you feel the same way after reading Raven.
Q: Which actors would you cast in a film adaptation of the movie?
AVD: I’d need fresh faces. I’ve never seen anyone who resembles Zin or Nicole the way I picture them. It would be better to choose unknowns than established actors. Zin, in particular, has this charisma, this raw appeal, that you don’t often see in a polished young actor. And whoever plays him has got to be able to dance – forget dance doubles!
Q: Do you listen to music when you’re writing? What kind?
AVD: Absolutely. Music helps put me in the mind-set of the scene. For Raven, I listened to a lot of dance music for the club scenes, like Timbaland and Chromeo, basically anything that made me feel like I was in a dance a club. For the romantic scenes, I listened to ballads by groups like Evanescence and One Republic.
Q: What are you reading right now?
AVD: Miss Match by Wendy Toliver. Loving it!
Q: Who are your favourite authors?
AVD: Walter Dean Myers, Ellen Hopkins and Charles de Lint are amazing.
Q: What’s your next project?
AVD: I have this great idea for another YA urban fantasy but I can’t tell you about it – I don’t want someone to steal it! (I know you wouldn’t, but maybe someone else would!) I will tell you, however, that I have two romances coming out in 2010 for Harlequin’s new teen line.
Q: Do you have any tips or tricks for aspiring writers?
AVD: Two words: discipline and determination.
I’ve known a lot of talented people who simply didn’t have the stick-to-it-ness to sit in a chair on a regular basis and write, write, write. There’s a quotation that goes, "The art of writing is the art of applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair." (Mary Vorse) That says it all!
Besides discipline, you need determination. Many aspiring writers lose their motivation when faced with rejection. To succeed in this field, you have to have faith in yourself. Yes, it sounds clichéd, but it’s true. An aspiring writer said to me recently, “It’s hard to write when I know I could never be as good as....” and listed off her favorite authors. I think that’s the wrong attitude. You have to believe that you bring something special to your readers, something they won’t find in the pages of other writers’ books. You have to believe that you deserve your place at the table!
Q: Raven is a very different book from your first two, Street Pharm and Snitch, which were edgy urban dramas. Why did you want to write urban fantasy this time around?
AVD: It was a very natural progression for me, since I’ve been interested in all things supernatural from the time I was little. When I started writing Raven, though, I hadn’t planned on it being an urban fantasy. After writing the first few chapters, I strongly felt that something was missing, and once I thought up the paranormal twist, it all clicked. I love mixing gritty realism and fantasy, and I hope my readers will like it, too.
Q: Urban fantasy is very popular right now, why do you think that is?
AVD: Urban fantasy gives the world we know a magical side. It’s escapism without having to wrap your mind around a whole new universe. It brings the supernatural closer to us and tempts us with the idea that anything is possible within our world.
Q: All of your books are aimed at young adult readers, why do you like writing for this particular audience?
AVD: I don’t know – I just do! I’m still a fairly young adult, so making my inner voice somewhat younger is easy for me. It would be far more difficult for me to write about someone older than I am, because I haven’t experienced that stage of life. My teenage years were a very compelling time in my life, and they’ve left an imprint on my psyche that’s easy to access.
Q: Are your main characters, Zin and Nicole, based on real people you know?
AVD: No, they’re not based on anyone in particular. But after having spent so much time with them, Zin and Nicole do feel like people I know, and they continue to live on in my head.... I hope you feel the same way after reading Raven.
Q: Which actors would you cast in a film adaptation of the movie?
AVD: I’d need fresh faces. I’ve never seen anyone who resembles Zin or Nicole the way I picture them. It would be better to choose unknowns than established actors. Zin, in particular, has this charisma, this raw appeal, that you don’t often see in a polished young actor. And whoever plays him has got to be able to dance – forget dance doubles!
Q: Do you listen to music when you’re writing? What kind?
AVD: Absolutely. Music helps put me in the mind-set of the scene. For Raven, I listened to a lot of dance music for the club scenes, like Timbaland and Chromeo, basically anything that made me feel like I was in a dance a club. For the romantic scenes, I listened to ballads by groups like Evanescence and One Republic.
Q: What are you reading right now?
AVD: Miss Match by Wendy Toliver. Loving it!
Q: Who are your favourite authors?
AVD: Walter Dean Myers, Ellen Hopkins and Charles de Lint are amazing.
Q: What’s your next project?
AVD: I have this great idea for another YA urban fantasy but I can’t tell you about it – I don’t want someone to steal it! (I know you wouldn’t, but maybe someone else would!) I will tell you, however, that I have two romances coming out in 2010 for Harlequin’s new teen line.
Q: Do you have any tips or tricks for aspiring writers?
AVD: Two words: discipline and determination.
I’ve known a lot of talented people who simply didn’t have the stick-to-it-ness to sit in a chair on a regular basis and write, write, write. There’s a quotation that goes, "The art of writing is the art of applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair." (Mary Vorse) That says it all!
Besides discipline, you need determination. Many aspiring writers lose their motivation when faced with rejection. To succeed in this field, you have to have faith in yourself. Yes, it sounds clichéd, but it’s true. An aspiring writer said to me recently, “It’s hard to write when I know I could never be as good as....” and listed off her favorite authors. I think that’s the wrong attitude. You have to believe that you bring something special to your readers, something they won’t find in the pages of other writers’ books. You have to believe that you deserve your place at the table!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)